@BOTSLAYER its on! I don’t have training partners so I have to compete with all of you
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Does a 210 pounds guy qualify for fat guy pull ups or I should grab some more cake before I wish to play with the big boys?
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@stronkfak the more the merrier. Enter the pull-up competition, then once you eat enough cake you’ll be fat enough for the bench press competition 
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I’m going to sit quietly here in the corner and work on my pull-ups I think.
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FRIDAY 10/28/2016
DE LOWER
Box Jumps 3x8
Speed Squats to low box vs average bands : 265x12x2. These were tough and not quite as fast as I expected. However, I was able to maintain my speed throughout even with 45 second rest periods so that is good. I think the overspeed eccentrics have been more difficult to adjust to than the added tension at lockout. I am fast at the top of the lift. I am hoping the box squats will get me stronger out of the hole.
Speed Pulls: 325 8 singles, 30 sec. rest
These felt heavier than I wanted them to, so I guess I should be relieved that the speed is decent on my video. I need to get tighter, specifically in my lats. I REALLY want to focus hard on drilling down solid technique over the next few weeks. This is my number one weak point, especially in my dead and bench.
Finished up with GHR 3x11
Cable Pull Throughs - messed around with straight legs which felt funky. Finished with bent leg 57.5 lb 2x20
Cable Side Bends - did sets of 12 working up to 65 lb per side
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Had business out of town Sunday into Monday so I did not get the chance to update on sunday, and took the day off completely from training (and dieting) on Monday. So here is Sunday:
SUNDAY 10/30/2016
DE UPPER (not really)
Used this day to work on my set-up and technique for my competition bench. I told myself I wasn’t going to add weight to the bar until I felt like my setup was passable. Well, I spent most of the workout with an empty bar and didn’t get over 185. Here was one of my efforts.
I had been trying to bench with my heels down for the past few months, but I just wasn’t getting any leg drive out of it. Here I am back to a super tight arch and just need to really practice dialing in my technique.
I reached out to local multi-ply legend Chris Taylor (900+ lb bencher) to give me some pointers, and much to my surprise he said my setup looks good! He did recommend that I touch a bit higher on my sternum, so that is something I will work on going forward. He also recommended I add “long bar cable rows to the chin” to my lexicon, 3x per week, in order to bring up my upper back. So I will be doing that as well.
After my bench practice I hit some typical bodybuilding stuff: incline DB bench, DB rows, DB skull crushers, and rear delt raises. Don’t remember the weights but it was a good training day. Back in the gym tomorrow.
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WEDNESDAY 11/2/2016
ME UPPER
Incline Bench: worked up to 225x3, 245x1, then 255x1 but my spotter gave me one of those assists the bodybuilders like. I probably would have missed it if he didn’t though, still got an okay grind.
Competition Bench: practiced my new setup some more, this time working up to 245x6. I battled some lat cramps here but eventually settled in and pushed through it. I felt strong but slow, as I am a bit deliberate as I get used to the new setup. I have a plan for locking in my new technique:
I was in the middle of a speed-strength wave when I took a hiatus last weekend to get a form check. My plan now is to abandon that wave altogether and go back to the lactic acid tolerance training for my DE Upper days until my next lower body speed-strength wave resets. That should give me about 4 weeks of the LATT, providing hundreds of reps at submaximal weight. I figure this is the best way to develop muscle memory and general comfortability with my new setup and stroke.
Finished today with:
Skull crushers 105 lb 3x10; 1x9
Lat Pulldowns w/ handle bar: 120lb 2x12, 1x10
Long Bar Cable Row to Chin: 70 lb 3x12
EZ Bar Reverse Curls 40 lb 3x12
Sledmill 10 min intervals
FRIDAY 11/4/2016
DE LOWER - MORNING EDITION
Weighing in at 228 these days. That means I’ve lost 17 lbs.
Box Jumps 3x8
Speed Squats to Low Box vs Light Bands: 285 10x2
This is week 3 of a 3-week speed strength wave, and these were nothing short of brutal. I was contemplating suicide halfway through. Hard to describe the havoc bands can produce on your body, especially when keeping rest periods under 60 seconds. Here’s the last set:
Speed Pulls: 355 8x1
For the third week in a row, these looked a lot better than they felt.
Finished with some free squats up to 315x6
Long Bar Cable Rows to Chin 75 lb 3x12
Was absolutely spent after that so called it a day. I am currently sitting in my cubicle trying not to vomit. Next week is a planned deload, thank god.
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I can’t shake the nagging feeling that I should be using a coach for help with programming and video analysis. I absolutely would if not for financial constraints. Maybe I will reach out at least to discuss prices with someone. I’m doing fine on my own but its always better to have someone to offer direct guidance.
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SUNDAY 11/6/2016
DE UPPER
Warmed up with some stretching and plyo pushups 3x8
Kicked off the lactic acid tolerance training today for my bench. It’ll be a 4-week wave with straight weight held constant, and I will either add sets or try to beat my time each week. I’m using 155 lbs which is about 50%.
Today did 12x3 in about 12 minutes flat, so not bad. The new setup is considerably more taxing as I am forcing myself to get REALLY tight which takes the wind out of me after a couple sets. I just hope to get better each week.
Assistance work:
Neutral Grip DB Bench: 70’s x12, x12, x10
Regular Pushdowns: 65 lbs x15, 95 lbs x20, x15, x12
Tried out some bent-over rows but my lower back wasn’t having it. Still beat up from Friday’s box squats. Instead:
Chest-supported DB Rows: 45’s 3x12
Long Bar Cable Rows: 80 lbs 3x12
Lateral Raises: 20’s x10, 15’s x12, x12
Sledmill 10 min
Notes: Limiting my caffeine during the day has helped me sleep better, which in turn has given me more energy in the gym and throughout the day. Win-win.
Weighed in at 225.0 this morning (Monday), surpassing 20 lbs lost!
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Much prefer these to BB rows
Nice!
MONDAY 11/7/2016
ME LOWER - DELOAD
Just a piss poor day. Hit some cambered bar good mornings up to 315 for 2 sets of 6 which were good. Then moved on to SSB squats. My plan was just to beat my previous 6-rep PR of 365. Managed one measly, grindy rep with 370. Just felt like I had no legs under me.
The end of this diet may be coming sooner rather than later. I may need to set my sights on a meet to avoid falling into a rut. Theres one in Jersey in January. Im still considering reaching out for coaching as well. Maybe I just need to sleep on this. Probably shouldn’t make any training commitments out of frustration.
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This is a good life rule as well.
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For sure. I know I’m just heated and I know better than to make a decision right now. Gotta sleep on it as tempting as it is to try to find an immediate solution.
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Felt something “go” in my back while deadlifting yesterday. It wasn’t even that heavy of a weight, my lower back just wasn’t having it. Now the morning after, it doesn’t hurt but its super stiff and I can’t bend over to pick something up from the floor. Gonna wait it out for the weekend and see how I feel on Monday before I go to a doctor or anything. Maybe I’ll just have someone put me down like a broken racehorse.
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Try touching your toes under a hot shower, that’s helped me in the past.
Ugh I think I fucked up worse than that. I can’t really bend over so I think squatting and pulling is out for now. Its gonna be a couple weeks of light squats and pulls until I can gauge how long a full recovery will actually take.
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How are you sitting down/getting up and rolling over in bed?
Very gingerly. Need to use my arms to push/pull myself over in bed and up from a seat. Its not really terrible pain, just super stiff. My lower back has been feeling beat up from the box squats and I think I finally just pushed it too far. Its something I can definitely see getting worse if I try to train through it though. I think it will just take at least a couple of light lower body sessions and some mobility (ugh) and stretching before I can put some real weight on it again. I should be able to bench normally.
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You might need to bench with your feet flat for a few weeks though
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